People walk past the Election Commission office in Delhi.
Credit: Reuters Photo
New Delhi: Two days after delisting 334 Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs), the Election Commission on Monday said it has initiated a second round of exercise to identify such parties that have not had a single election in the past six years.
It has identified 476 such parties, including 121 from Uttar Pradesh and ten from Karnataka, in the second round and will be issued show-cause notices to ensure that no party is unduly delisted.
Based on the reports of the CEOs, the final decision regarding the delisting of any RUPP will be taken by the EC.
On Saturday, the EC delisted 334 RUPPs, including a whopping 115 from Uttar Pradesh and 12 from Karnataka, for not fulfilling the condition of contesting at least a single election in the past six years and not being found at their registered addresses. Eleven cases have been referred back to the CEOs for reverification.
A section of such RUPPs are accused of violating income tax laws and anti-money laundering laws. A registered party gets benefits like entitlement to accept contribution, income tax exemptions as well as facility of common symbol, preference over independent candidates on ballot paper and star campaigners.
Following a Supreme Court order, the EC cannot “derecognise” erring parties as a provision for derecognising a party is not provided in the law. In such a scenario, the EC has devised the method of ‘delisting’ parties, which can regain its registration afresh if it can convince the EC that its credentials are in order.